The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
HOW TO REDUCE BONES ON
THE FARM.

A satisfactory method of doiDc
this would be most desirable. :
large heap of bones may be accumn
lated on every farm if a little atten-
ton be paid to picking them I'D, IF
they could be reduced to a powder
they would be a valuable addition
to the fertilizing resources on tbo
farm. Bones r very difficult to
break up and it takes the heaviest
machinery to grind them. Some
chemical means must be applied to
reduce them.
1t has been recommended to usa
sulphuric acid or oil of vitriol for
this purpose. This would be the
very best means Of reducing bones
on the farm if it was convenient and
practicable. The suIphuric acid
would not only separate the particles
Of phosphate, by eating up the ami
NAL matter which binds them to-
gether, but would also dissolve these
particles and produce the soluble
phosphates which act so much more
promptly in the soil. In fact, how
ever, this method is almost imprac-
ticable and very inconvenient. In
order to get the bones at all well re-
duced by the acid, they must be
pretty finely beaten up before it is
added. The pounding is difficult
and tedious and unless a large ex-
cess of acid is used the reduction is
always far from complete. The
acid attacks the outside of u lump
and forms a coating Of sulphate Of
lime over it which prevents further
action. Sulphuric acid is more or
less dangerous to transport and to
handle.
The reduction with strong aka
lies is far more convenient and al
though no soluble phosphate is pro-
duced, bones reduced in this way
have been found to produce excel
lent results. Ashes or lime or a
mixture of these may be used for
this purpose. Professor Johnson
gives the following directions:
"Arrange a circular layer of bones
closely laid on a bed, a foot thick of
good loan, under shelter, wet them
from a watering pot and sprinkle
over them wood ashes enough to fill
the chinks. Then give a coating of
gypsum; put upon that a few inches
thick Of muck or loan, adding all
along as much water as will well
moisten the earth and ashes but not
more than the mass can easily alb
sorb; then place another layer of
bones with ashes, gypsum, loan or
muck, and water as before, until a
heap is built up several feet; finally
cover with loan and keep moist by
adding water from time to time but
not enough to u away from the
bed. When the bones are sufficient
ly softened, mix we'll together with
loan used as bed and cover, and
with more if need be. This plan
would require more time but per
haps would be as efficacious and
more convenient than the pro-
cess last described.
"Instead of wood ashes a mixture
Of lime and some form of potash
salts might be employed, but trials
on a large scale would be needtui TO
learn the proper proportions and
mode of working.
"a third method of disintegratlng
bones is to induce decomposition OF
animal matter (ossein,) by compost
ing or interstratifying them wltn
fermenting horse dung, and keeping
the a moist by covering win
loan and adding occasionally urine
or dung-heap liquor. AS to the de-
tails of this method or the practlca-
bility of it, | can give no lntornla-
tion.-By Dr.. Dabney Of the E1pe|'-
ment Station.